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Home > Archive > UK gardening > September 2005 > Pruning Willow
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| Mike Fitzpatrick 2005-09-28, 9:21 am |
| I have a Kilmarnock weeping willow about 8 yrs old, maybe 5ft to it's
highest point, the canopy covers an area of about 5ft diameter in the form
of an umbrella. Do I need to prune or just leave to do what it does
naturally, This year we got no little furry catkins at all but have done in
previous years, however we did attempt a hack job last autumn. What is best
please?
Mike
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| I have no idea what the official solution to this problem is but for years I
gave mine an annual prune and it was a magnificent plant (it unfortunately
had to go when the garden was reorganised).
My method was to get right inside it with a good pair of secateurs and
ruthlessly remove all old and dead branches. I left only an outside ring of
recent growth and it always looked beautiful. This produces an elegant, airy
looking tree which allows some light to show through.
It's failure to produce catkins this year may just be because it is having a
rest, as most trees and plants will occasionally do.
Eric
"Mike Fitzpatrick" <mikefitz@nospamblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:W_u_e.6260$RW.2845@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> I have a Kilmarnock weeping willow about 8 yrs old, maybe 5ft to it's
> highest point, the canopy covers an area of about 5ft diameter in the form
> of an umbrella. Do I need to prune or just leave to do what it does
> naturally, This year we got no little furry catkins at all but have done
in
> previous years, however we did attempt a hack job last autumn. What is
best
> please?
> Mike
>
> --
> **This bit of the email is automatically generated. Nothing personal**
> But If emailing me along with others, please use the BCC function of your
> email program. I'm sure your other friends don't want my email address,
just
> as I don't want theirs.
>
>
| |
|
| In article <9g2r03-umn.ln1@mercury.tcm.vispa.net.uk>, Cire <e@UNSPAMnotn
am8.news.vispa.com> writes
>I have no idea what the official solution to this problem is but for years I
>gave mine an annual prune and it was a magnificent plant (it unfortunately
>had to go when the garden was reorganised).
>
>My method was to get right inside it with a good pair of secateurs and
>ruthlessly remove all old and dead branches. I left only an outside ring of
>recent growth and it always looked beautiful. This produces an elegant, airy
>looking tree which allows some light to show through.
>
>It's failure to produce catkins this year may just be because it is having a
>rest, as most trees and plants will occasionally do.
>
>
A general rule of thumb is to prune just after flowering - things which
flower late in the season often do so on this year's growth whereas
things which flower early in the season tend to do so on growth from the
previous year. So pruning a spring flowering plant in the autumn doesn't
give it time to produce new growth for next year's flowering.
>"Mike Fitzpatrick" <mikefitz@nospamblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:W_u_e.6260$RW.2845@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
>in
>best
>just
>
>
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"
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| Mike Fitzpatrick wrote:
> I have a Kilmarnock weeping willow about 8 yrs old, maybe 5ft to
it's
> highest point, the canopy covers an area of about 5ft diameter in
the
> form of an umbrella. Do I need to prune or just leave to do what it
> does naturally, This year we got no little furry catkins at all but
> have done in previous years, however we did attempt a hack job last
> autumn. What is best please?
> Mike
Ours must be about 15 years old at the very least and maybe about 9
feet tall.
All we do is to trim out the old dead wood each year in the autumn -
and any errant stems that appear to have forgotten which direction
they are supposed to be aiming in.
It is now a classic hollow bee-hive shape.
--
ned
http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 22.09.2005
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